Dinsmist
Dinsmist is a massive kingdom set in the most eastern part of Askeril. It is home to free men, dwarves, elves, gnomes, druids, orcs, halflings, and many other varieties of race. It is bordered by the Dwarven Kingdoms to the west, and has a small land bridge, Mantia, to Valmyr in the northeast. Government The united baronies of Dinsmist are ruled by King Cameron Wallace, the Llanish king. Each barony is presided over by a baron who must answer to the king, and rely on the kings armies for defense. The Nine Baronies of Dinsmist Dinsmarch - Dinsmore Caerleon – Glenn Usk Brecon - Tipton Penarth – High Vale Abertawe - Tawe Knighton – Knighton Powys Llanelwy - Elwy East Haven - Darkshire Pentreath - Praad Sands History The Druidic Era In the Druidic Era (the Mythic Era throughout the majority of Artem), Dinsmist was largely populated by tribes of men, forest dwelling communities of elves, and druid glenns; all of whom presumably migrated from the far west. Research suggests that druids inhabited the forested mountains in Dinsmist long before other races made their way that far east. The men who lived here learned magic from the elves, and developed a love of nature from the druids. As time progressed these gritty tribes began to form small kingdoms all across the land. For a long, unknown amount of time, these settlements of men and elves lived in relative peace with the druids. However, the druids soon began to realize the incredible pace at which men reproduced and matured. Fearing for their sacred glenns, and seeing the destructive nature of men, the druids collected together and determined the men to be an invasive, disastrous species. After many failed attempts by the druids to retake the lands of men, the elves decided to enter into a peaceful treaty of sorts among all three interests. With this, the elves were able to reserve present day Caerleon to the druids, under the condition that men would not step foot in these lands, and the further relentless destruction of men was stemmed. The First Age Carrying over from the prosperous times at the end of the Druidic Era, the first age saw a time of abundance for men. Within the first two centuries the Brecon and Dinish peoples begin to form real kingdoms with self-supporting populations. Gone is the tribalistic lifestyles of the first age. Towards the end of the first age, the Dinish, Brecon, and Penarians begin to experience hostile land grabs from small western forces. The news of an unknown threat quickly spreads amongst the mostly amicable kingdoms. By the end of the first age there are eight definitive kingdoms, save for the druidic mountains in the center. The Second Age By the second century of the second age, the previously unknown armies encroaching from the west are now known as the horrific undead armies of Rylea, under the command of Emporer Kasian, the Vampire King. The Dark Ages The divided kingdoms, unable to raise a force even close to stopping the Rylean forces, are quickly overrun. Kasian's forces enslave most of the population, ushering in the Dark Ages. For five hundred years the kingdoms lay under Kasian's terrible, chaotic rule. One day, at the beginning of the sevent century of the second age, the border between the kingdoms and Rylea caught fire, and a magical barrier shot into the sky as high as any crow could reach. This marked the end of the Dark Ages. After a rather quick recovery, possibly aided even by the druids, the Brecons and Dins forge an alliance with the other seven kingdoms. The Dins economy becomes remarkably powerful thanks to the Southern Trade Empire Company. Max Killian, the Dinish king, becomes the first king of sovereign Dinsmist, the kingdom forged by the Dinsmist Charter, uniting all 8 kingdoms under one banner. In the sunset years of the second age, the Dinsmist Guard is established, learning from history what the lack of an army both domestic and otherwise can and will bring. The Guard is tasked with quelling the druids uprisings. During this time, Dinsmist formally annexes the druid lands, Caerleon. This initiates the First Druid Wars. The First Druid Wars The First Druid Wars wage for 94 years, the ruling house Killian calls upon a successful adventuring group to infiltrate Caerleon and eliminate the Druid Eldest. The First Druid Wars and the second age come to an end with an unknown member of the adventuring party slaying the Druid Eldest, the age ends in a time of peace. The Third Age The Angel Sickness The third age is most notable for the Angel Sickness, a plague that sweeps across Dinsmist, killing thousands. Angel Sickness receives its name from the way it twists the arms of its victims, pushing shoulders to protude from the victims back cripple the arms into a wing shape. The plague is first seen in the homeless unknown hero who slayed the Druid Eldest, as he laid mangled from it on the steps of a church in Glenn Usk, Caerleon. It is not until the end of the fifth century of the third age that a cure is discovered. The Arch Mage of Dinsmist discovers a way to 'eat' the Angel Sickness from it's victims. This ends up killing the Arch Mage, who's body is buried in his home of Darkshire. At the very beginning of the sixth century of the third age, a mysterious unidentified group of Frost Kings show up in Darkshire, demanding the body of the Arch Mage. A small skirmish ensues where the Frost Kings effectively destroy Darkshire's guards and head northeast, presumably back to Valmyr, with the body. The group is never seen again once riding away from Darkshire. The Great War In the 652nd year of the third age, the Great War begins. The first evil armies step foot on the southern shores of Dinsmist. It is not known from where these armies came from, but scholars at the time recorded the vast numbers of orcs, trolls and even heavily cloth-clad humans that out numbered the armies of Dinsmist 50 to 1. Dinsmist is able to hold their lines for an incredible 237 years thanks to their extreme power within the Mage Guild, but in the 889th year of the third age King Trever Killian lost his only heir to the throne. Prince Carter Killian is killed while defending Westford from an onslaught of orc troops. The king dies the same year, leaving Dinsmist with no ruler, and no heir to throne. In a desperate attempt to hold the kingdom together in a time of immense fear and a losing battle, the Royal Council hires a notable adventuring party from Dinsmore to visit the Caernfrond Oracle for guidance. The Royal Council also seeks aid from the Frost Kings as the Dinsmist army dwindles and the once powerful Mage Guild is reduced to a number in the single digits. Within a year, the tiny Frost King army sent to Dinsmist is able to route and disperse the orc armies, in return for control of the land bridge Atium. The Great War is won, the evil armies sent back south across The Ever Sea, but at an immense cost. The Second Druid War By the time the new king takes to the throne, King Cameron Wallace, in the 919th year of the third age, The Second Druid War has ravaged Dinsmist, seizing the opportunity the cost of The Great War levied. A Brief Timeline of Dinsmist: 112: First tribes of men begin to form small kingdoms. Most notably are the Brecons in the North West. 343: '''The halflings of Darkshire begin migrating northeast to Valmyr, they begin trade with Frost Kings. '''850: Rylea begins attacking the Dins, Brecons, and Pens. News spreads quickly throughout the other kingdoms. 905: The Dins open The Southern Trading Empire with gnomes from the dwarven kingdoms and the Frost Kings of Valmyr. 1200: '''Under Emporer Kasian, Rylean armies storm the kingdoms, the Dark Ages begin. '''1710: '''A mysterious barrier appears and seperates the kingdoms of men from Rylea to the west, The Valenfold. '''1711: '''The Dark Ages end when Kasian is destroyed by Frost Kings, the kingdoms of men are made sovereign again. '''1750: '''The economically strong Dins forge the final alliance with the other 8 kingdoms. '''1765: '''The Din's realize the power of the elves living in the land and begin the Mage Guilds. '''1776: '''With the help of the Brecons, the Dins are able to draft the Dinsmist Charter that all 9 kingdoms agree to. '''1780: '''Max Killian is crowned the first King of Dinsmist after being active ruler of the Dinish lands. '''1890: '''The Dinsmist guard is formally established to quell the druid uprisings from Caerleon. '''1984: '''The First Druid Wars wage 94 years until an unknown hero kills the Druid Eldest deep within the Caern Mountains. '''2015: '''The unknown hero reportedly becomes increasingly ill, found homeless in Glenn Usk, Caerleon. '''2016: '''The Angel Sickness Plague sweeps from Caerleon across all of Dinsmist. Thousands parish. '''2590: '''The plague is finally subdued when the Arch Mage drains the plague from victims, into himself. '''2600: '''A group of Frost Kings appear in Darkshire, they take the Arch Mage's body by force and are never seen again. '''2652: '''The first evil armies of The Great War step foot on Dinsmist's southern border. '''2889: '''King Trever Killian's only heir, Prince Carter Killian is killed while defending Westford. The King dies the same year. Dinsmist is without a king, the Royal Council resorts to asking the Caernfrond Oracle for guidance. '''2890: With the aid of the Frost Kings, Dinsmist is able to end The Great War, the evil armies pushed across The Ever Sea. '''2919: '''Cameron Wallace becomes the half-elven king of Dinsmist. '''3004: '''Present Day Geography Much of Dinsmist is deciduous, portions of the southern region may even appear tropical. However, the trade winds that blow south from the mountains of Valmyr keep tropical Dinish flora from ever really flourishing. For the most part, Dinsmist is a flat land, save for the mountains of Caerleon that split the rolling hills of Knighton and the flat green fields of Pentreath. To the western borders of Penarth and Brecon lies the Valenfold, or whats left of it. The great magic that put it in place has since begun to wither and die. The land nearest the Valenfold is mostly barren, and brushfires are frequest in these areas. The Valenfold itsself is absolutely breathtaking. Finally, and possibly the most over looked, are the shires of East Haven. Beautiful rolling hills and shaded glens make up the majority of this halfling settled land, and where it meets Llanelwy to the south is even more magical. The wood elves forests run right into the rivers and shires of East Haven. The sky is so clear on this border that people travel from all around Dinsmist to visit the Forefrost Festival located in Dollymeade, a small city mostly made up of a huge field for the festival, right on the border of East Haven and Llanelwy. Dinsmist is the ending point of the Tundari River, splitting into a delta at Dinsmore and flowing into The Ever Sea.